Recovery
by bucktooth22
Summary: Shuri helps Bucky in his recovery. Brother, friend, weird uncle, dorky grandpa, he works to find his place in the world alongside his new adoptive family.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of its characters.

T'Challa walked into his sister's darkened lab. One of the guards told him the White Wolf and Princess Shuri had not emerged for several days. He found an elaborate blanket fort maze awaiting him. Sighing he got on his hands and knees, despite hearing the words of his father that a king did not kneel. He traversed the maze for a long time before solving the puzzle and arriving at the central chamber of the mansion esque labyrinth. Books lined the walls on every language spoken in all of Africa. The list was extensive, and the books were numerous. Shuri was sleeping with a blanket hugged around her shoulders. T'Challa looked at Bucky whos eyes had risen from his book at the arrival of the king.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping in a bed?" T'Challa chuckled and pulled his legs into a sitting position careful not to jostle any blankets.

"They say Wakandans weave vibranium into their fabric." Bucky said softly.

"Do the blankets make you feel safe?" T'Challa asked curiously.

"Shuri thought it might." Bucky shrugged and went back to his book.

"Studying?"

"Focusing on something...else." He said not looking up.

"Another of Shuri's suggestions?" Bucky made a noise in affirmation. "When was the last time you slept, brother?" T'Challa put a hand on Bucky's shoulder.

"What day is it?" Bucky looked up blinking.

"Wednesday."

"Monday."

"Try to rest. Use a blanket. They help." And with that T'Challa crawled his way out. Bucky looked at Shuri and sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

"All I know how to do is kill things really good." Bucky grumbled in agitation.

"Just put the blindfold on." Shuri insisted. He sighed and tied it around his head. "Now go to the console and fly that ship!" She said grinning.

"You haven't even seen the movie this is from." He huffed as he fumbled his way to the projected seat and took hold of the controls.

"Stop harassing the man Shuri." T'Challa's voice cut in.

"You bring me broken white boys and tell me to fix them but don't like how I fix them?" She huffed back.

"This is not fixing, this is bullying. You bully me because I'm your brother, but you may not bully him until he is given this." T'Challa pulled the blindfold off Bucky's eyes and handed him a band of kimoyo beads. "As Shuri has already adopted you I suppose it's time we make it official, brother." He said sliding them on Bucky's wrist.

"This is my son." Shuri said wrapping her arms around Bucky's neck.

"Shuri no-"

"Hush T'Challa, he is my son I adopted him and he is mine so take your old beads back and I will give him the newest versions I've updated." She waved her hand and walked off to get the new beads.

"She gives you all the fun toys." T'Challa huffed playfully. "Do you accept our offer though?" He looked at Bucky with an honest expression. Sincere brotherly affection. T'Challa's specialty.

"I was not asking. He is my son. I adopted him and I will raise him right. I'll feed him and walk him and teach him all the tricks." Shuri grinned.

"White wolf." Bucky said softly. He smiled up at the two.


	3. Chapter 3

"Dare." Bucky replied.

"No you have to pick truth, you did dare last time." Shuri shook her head. "True answer, do you have a crush?"

"I've had a crush since the early 1900's." He laughed. "We grew up together and we'd go out with girls who wanted to go out together. It was my idea, we'd pretend to be double dating, but really it was him and me. Not technically a lie. I...didn't lie as much back then." He trailed off.

"I never knew you and Steve were a thing." Shuri cooed excitedly. "He's been visiting a lot though, so it makes sense."

"We haven't had time since...I haven't really been in the right headspace to be in a relationship, but he's being patient for me." Bucky said softly.

"What a dork!" Shuri shouted. "So cute! White boys can be so bashful." She laughed. He felt bashful, which was a weird feeling to have after so much time not feeling anything.


	4. Chapter 4

"I saw Uncle Steve give you something secret. Was it a love note?" Shuri asked.

"Some things from home. Not a love note, We're still...I'm still not ready." Bucky looked away. She closed the program she was using to design a new prosthetic arm to look at him.

"Are you sure? I've seen your progress. Are you positive you're not ready, and not just hiding?" She asked leveling her gaze at him.

"I just...I still have nightmares. I don't want to wake up with my hand on his throat. I don't want to wake up from a nightmare to a new nightmare." He tried to hold her gaze but looked away, feeling inadequate.

"Maybe having someone sleeping with you will help calm your subconscious. Knowing someone is there with you." She shrugged and re-opened her program. "Think on it."


	5. Chapter 5

T'Challa flipped between the pages one more time with a sigh before passing them to Bucky and leveling a gaze on his sister. "I must say, this is a bit ambitious, even for you. Are you sure about this?"

"Oh, brother, you must know by now." The grin on Shuri's face was devilish. Mischievous. Downright impish. "I'm not just sure, I'm Shuri." She grinned. Bucky put the papers down and exhaled deeply, his eyes on her. She laughed raucously.

"Why are you this way?" Bucky grumbled, but the smile spread its way across his face nonetheless.

"Was this all just a ploy to use this pun?" T'Challa sighed, also trying to stifle his amusement.

"No, I actually want to do this. It will work." She said after recovering from her laughter.

"Your thoughts, brother?" T'Challa looked at Bucky. Every time the king had big decisions he would seek out Bucky's input. It made him feel seen. And every time T'Challa called him brother a little piece of him warmed. He looked at Shuri who was also watching him. She treated him as a friend, as family, not as an imposition. Not as a tool. Not as a soldier. He had use beyond killing. And they cared about his thoughts and feelings and wellbeing. His heart ached at the thought, why was he receiving such care after all that he had done? Did he deserve this?

"I think it will work. She's Shuri after all." He smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

"My grandpa used to give me one of these every time I visited." Bucky said popping a hard candy in his mouth.

"Gross." Shuri wrinkled her nose. "I finished your new arm." She said. He didn't look up from the wrapper that he was folding in neat lines. "You know…" She approached him slowly. "I call Steve Uncle Steve. But I adopted you as my son. T'Challa calls you brother, and the others call you White Wolf. I think you're more of a grandpa though." She said as he sat up from his folding revealing a tiny origami crane out of the wrapper. He picked it up delicately and put it in her hand along with one of the still wrapped candies. "Take off that arm and try on the new one."

"Ukuba unyanzela, umzukulu." Bucky held out his arm for her.

"Attempting Xhosa?" She laughed. "Good, good. Now try it in Swahili."

"Ikiwa unasisitiza, mjukuu." He smiled at the game and closed his eyes as she began taking off the arm.

"Now Yoruba."

"Ti yo ba ku, ọmọ-ọmọ."

"How about Amharic?"

"Still studying that one." He chuckled.

"Okay, easy one, mandarin."

"如果你坚持，孙女。"

"You're such a nerd." She laughed as she finished affixing his new arm, stepping back to admire the work.

"I think I'm ready to talk to Steve again. About….us." He blushed and looked away from her.

"White wolf!" She laughed. "More like pink cub." She pinched his cheek. "Send the old man my regards."


End file.
